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Worship Artist Taya Celebrates Solo Album: ‘It’s Been So Joyful’ To Follow ‘God’s Calling’

Worship Artist Taya Celebrates Solo Album: ‘It’s Been So Joyful’ To Follow ‘God’s Calling’

By Movieguide® Contributor

Multi-platinum artist Taya Smith-Gaukrodger, who rose to fame through her performances with Hillsong United and Hillsong Worship, is getting ready to release her first solo album, Taya

“I count it such a joy that I got to step into this with 14 older brothers in the worship team United,” she told The Christian Post. “They’re 14 brothers I didn’t ask for, but didn’t know that I would need. Stepping into all of this, getting to steward songs, it was a new thing for me. But it felt like the kindness of God to have brothers who would help me learn how to steward this and steward songs and getting to glean from their wisdom of so many years.”

The singer, who is professionally known as “Taya,” credits her time at Hillsong United for preparing her to release music on her own. She was especially thankful for the encouragement she received from Joel Houston, the lead singer of United. 

God “knew that I would need someone to really encourage and to say, ‘Hey, I think this is on your life,'” she explained. “I knew that I was meant to be songwriting. I knew that I had something like this at some point, but I wasn’t going to be the person that’s like, ‘Hey, pick me.’ So it was actually Joel who really called it out and was like, ‘I think you need to be writing.’ Even though he didn’t know if I can do it. I hadn’t shown him.”

The album was initially going to be released in 2020, but got pushed back due to issues from COVID-19. However, Taya called the delay a blessing in disguise. 

“A silver lining of a season that held so much loss and so much tension for so many different people for different reasons, for me, it was where I found my voice,” she said. “I think the album that I have now, it wouldn’t be what it is with my words and my melodies if it hadn’t started on Zoom because I was still trying to find my voice.”

“It’s been so joyful because when you step into something that you believe God’s calling you to, He’s so kind He doesn’t just leave you, but He graces you for it,” Taya continued. “I’ve just experienced time and time again where God’s spoken, not audibly, but it was more like impressions that He would put on my heart for the song that we were to write that day.”


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